Method of preparing paraffin or waxed paper.



PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES IGNATIUS GOESSMANILOF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS,

ASSIGNOR TO VELLUMOID VIRGINIA. I

PAPER 00., A CORPORATION OF WEST METHOD OF PREPARING PARAFFIN OR WAXED,PAPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 721,693, dated March3, 1903. Application filed June 21, 1901. Serial No. 65,521. (NosecimensJ To aZZ whom it may concern.- I

Be it known that 1, CHARLES IGNATIUS GOEssMANN, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, and a resident of Worcester, in the county ofWorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Paraffin or Waxed Paper and Meth-' ods of Preparing theSame, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to paper and the method orprocess of treating the same either during the process of manu-" factureor after the same has been manufactured, although my process or methodmay also be employed with some fabrics other than paper.

My invention also relates to the strengthening of paraffin or waxedpaper or other fabrics and to the rendering of the same impervious towater or moisture.

The object of my invention is to produce a paraffin or waxed paper orother fabric which will be stronger than when subjected to any paraffinor Waxing treatment heretofore known. My object is to further provide aprocess or method and means by which said objects or results may beattained, and, further, to-

erence to paper and treatment of the same paper, then the better methodis to begin treatment when the web of pulpy material leaves theFoui'drinier wire or the cylinders, it then being in a damp condition,but with the larger percentage of the moisture removed. From this pointthe treatment of the fabric is the same, whether it be pulp ina sheet,as above stated, or finished paper.

The treatment consists, first, in immersing the material in a bath ofglutinous material, preferably animal glue, and by preference the bathof glutinous material should be hot to effect the more rapid absorptionand more perfect permeation and deposit of the glutinous material in andthroughout all the microscopic interstices of the fabric being treated.By preference a suitable tank is provided in which the glutinousmaterial is do posited and in which it' may be kept heated to a constanttemperature, about 80 centigrade, the fabric being passed through thesolution. I prefer that the material being treated be kept in motion orpassed continuously through the bath in a continuous sheet. This savestime, and I find that the requisite permeating of glutinous matter orincorporation of glutinous matter and fiber will with is passed into andthrough a solution of formaldehyde and water. The strength of thisformaldehyde solution may also be variable,

dependent, as heretofore stated, upon the fabric and uses for which itis designed. In the majority of cases, however, a solution of one partof formaldehyde to five parts of water,

by weight, gives the best results, and the best result is attained ifthis bath is maintained at a temperature of about 15 centigrade, thoughany particular temperature is not essentially necessary to give goodresults. The

temperatures, however, herein pointed out facilitate the rapidity oftreatment. The effect of the formaldehyde solution upon theglutin-saturated fabric is to precipitate the glutinous matter andrender it insoluble. As the material comes from the formaldehydebath bypreference the surplus solution adhering to the surface is removed byrolls or other convenient means. The fabric is then dried in anyconvenient manner. The best result is attained by the air-blast methodof dryingi. e., projecting blasts of air against both surfaces of thefabric, hot-air blasts being preferred as most rapid and efiective. Thedrying removes all the watery constituents and leaves the fabric in atoughened and much strengthened but hard and brittle condition. Totemper and render the fabric soft and pliable, I subject it to moisture,which penetrates the fabric, causing a swelling in all directions,partially filling all the interstices, producing both mechanical andchemical change. The mechanical action is the temporary absorption ofwater analogous to the absorption of water by a dry sponge, and thechemical action is the permanent union or combination of Water with thetreated fabric, analogous to the combination of water and tapioca,causing swelling, or like the chemical combination of water with lime orcement. For this purpose I prefer to pass the fabric int-o a bath of hotwater, saturated steam, or equivalent heat and moisture medium, thuscausing the fibers and the non-soluble glutinous material filling theinterstices toexpand in all directions, thus forcing the glutinousmaterial into all the microscopic pores or openings and into the massesof fiber, causing a commingling of the fibers and glutinous compound,and at the same time a chemical change hydration takes place, wherebythe hardened mass of fiber, glutin, and 'formaldehyde becomes temperedand softened, increasing the strength imparted by the previoustreatment. The paper material is next dried again. The paper material isat this point in proper condition to receive a treatment of meltedparaffin or melted wax, or a mixture of both. Although at this point thepaper material is strengthened greatly and the pores substantiallyfilled, it still has a sufiicient porosity to admit of an absorption ofwax, paraffin, or oily matter. To heighten the tempering and softeningefiect, I in some instancesintroduce glycerin in the temperingbath, andin most cases onehalf of one per cent., in volume, of glycerin gives thebest result, thus giving a softer paper, after which the fabric is driedin any convenient manner and is in condition for treatment with meltedparaffin or melted wax or a mixture of melted paraffin and wax or oilymatter. This may be brought about by leading the tempered paper materialafter drying into the melted paraffin or wax or oily matter, passing itthrough the bath,resulting in thorough impregnation,and as the papermaterial emerges from this bath removing the excess of melted paraffinor wax matter and drying in any convenient manner, preferably by blastsof cool air. This treatment results in a paper material that is suitablefor wrapping and protecting such sticky and gummy materials as candiesand all kinds of confectionery and sugared fruits, &c. v

For the purpose of rendering the material absolutely free from alltraces of acidity and all taste and odors and, in fact, to render itabsolutely hygienic, I subject it before passing it to the parafiin orwax treatment and preferably before drying to a bath of water and avolatile alkaliammonium hydratethe proportion by preference in amajority of cases being one per cent. ofammonium hydrate to ninety-nineper cent. of water, by volume. This bath is preferably cool; but avariation in its temperature will notto a serious extent interfere withits operation. To hasten the drying, I may introduce alcohol in thisbath. The efiect of the bath followed by drying is to complete thechemical reaction and destroy all taste or odor, removing all traces ofacids, and rendering the fabric bygienic in all respects. The materialbeing dried in any convenient manner may nowbe paraffined in the samemanner as heretofore indicated. With my methods or processes the sheetof material or paper, for instance, can be treated as rapidly as it ismanufactured, as the time for exposure to the action of the severalbaths need not exceed eighteen seconds, and the length of time ofexposure to the action of any separate bath may be fixed by making thetank of such length that the requisite time will elapse while the sheetis passing through it, and the guides can be arranged so asto maintainthe sheet in such solution the requisite length of time.

By the term hydration as herein employed I mean subjecting theglutinoustreated fabric to moisture in any manner and to such an extentas to cause the formaldehyde-treated glutinous material to undergo thechange herein described.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The improvement in the art of manufacturing a fabric, consisting insaturating the untreated fabric with glutinous material,then subjectingthe fabric to the action of formaldehyde, then drying, then subjectingto moisture and drying again, and then treating with unctuous matter asparaffin or wax.

2. The improvement in the art of manufacturing a waterproof fabric,consisting in saturating the untreated fabric with glutinous material,then subjecting the fabric to the action of formaldehyde, then drying,then subj ecting to moisture, then subjecting to the action of avolatile-alkali solution, then drying, and then treating with unctuousmatter as paraffin or wax. v

3. The improvement in the art of manufacturing waterproof fabric,consisting in saturating with a solution of glutinous material,

then submitting to the action of formaldehyde, the'n drying, thensubjecting to moisture and glycerin, then drying, and then treating withunctuous matter as paraffin or wax. l

4. The improvementin the art of manufacturing waterproof fabric,consisting in first applying a solution of-glue, then subjecting thematerial thus treated to the action of a solution of formaldehyde anddrying, then applying moistureand glycerin in a heated state, thendrying, and thenparaftining or waxing.

5. The improvement in the art of manufacturing a waterproof fabric,consistingin first applying to the untreated fabric a solution of glue,then subjecting the material thus' treated to the action offormaldehyde, then drying, then applying moisture and glycerin in aheated, state, then a solution of ammonium hydrate, then drying, andthen paraffining or waxing.

6. The improvement in the art of manufacturing waterproof fabric,consisting'in sub-' ent-h, to the the action of melted jecting a movingsheet of fabric, first, to the action of a'glutinous solution; second,tothe action of formaldehyde; third,drying; fourth, to the action of hotwater or saturated steam; fifth, drying, and sixth, to the action ofmelted paraflin or wax.

7. The improvement in the art of manufacturing waterproof fabric,consisting in 'subjecting a moving sheet of fabric, first, to the actionof a glutinous solution; second, to the action of formaldehyde;third,drying; fourth,

CHARLES IGNATIUS GOESSMANN.

Witnesses:

FRANK A. CUTTER, STEPHEN S. TAFT, Jr.

